Traditionally, it has been the case in the fire-fighting industry that, for each type of emergency event, a specific vehicle has been designed that is adapted to respond to, and support fire-fighters in responding to, that type of emergency event. For example, when a structure catches on fire, the fire department would traditionally require a strictly pumper-style fire-fighting vehicle, while a car accident would require a different rescue-style vehicle.
In each case, custom, or tradition, has driven the need for multiple specialized vehicles to respond in emergency situations. It has been found that in many emergency response situations, the fire department may actually engage the pump on a fire-fighting vehicle, or pumper, only 5-8% of the time for a true fire-extinguishing need. Further, it is often the case that a single emergency situation may require several different types of emergency response vehicles. However, this can make responding to emergencies a very costly endeavor, especially for communities with small populations or limited resources. Thus, there is a need for a specialized type of pumper vehicle which is also configured to respond to other types of emergency situations to reduce the need for multiple specialized vehicles on a scene, thereby reducing operational costs, both in terms of equipment and personnel.
Embodiments of the invention provides such a specialized type of pumper. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.